Perhaps it’s time to start having a legitimate conversation about New York Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson’s candidacy for the Norris Trophy, which is awarded annually to the defenseman deemed best in the NHL.
Why, you might ask? Because nobody else has talked about an Islanders defenseman in this light for a very long time.
The Islanders haven’t had a finalist (finishing in the top three) of the Norris Trophy voting in 42 years when the legendary Denis Potvin finished second to Randy Carlyle of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1981. Potvin is the only Islander to ever win the award, doing so three times in 1975, 1978, and 1979.
No other Islander has been a finalist. Only Adrian Aucoin (2002, 2004) and Mark Streit (2009, 2010) are the other defensemen in franchise history to finish in the top 10 of the voting.
The Norris Trophy in itself is flawed. It’s more often than not given to the flashiest defenseman who puts up the best offensive numbers rather than the best defensive blueliner. Since the league’s expansion for the 1967-68 season, there have been only eight Norris Trophy winners in a non-shortened season (strike or COVID) who have recorded fewer than 60 points.
Dobson, however, is checking off the boxes to garner legitimate early consideration for the award.
Through 28 games this season, the 23-year-old has five goals with 24 assists (29 points) — fueled by a torrid streak of helpers to begin the bolstering of his resume. He has an assist in each of his last five games (eight assists in total), including three on Monday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs and another two on Wednesday against the Anaheim Ducks. Over his last eight games, he has 13 assists.
Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche, Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks, and Evan Bouchard of the Edmonton Oilers are the only defensemen in the NHL who have more points than Dobson’s 29.
His two straight multi-point nights this week have raised his season total to seven already. Only Makar (13), Hughes (9), and Josh Morrissey of the Winnipeg Jets (8) have more. Dobson also tied Tomas Jonsson for the second-most multi-point games in franchise history (29) only behind Potvin. The 24 assists through 28 games are the most by an Islanders defenseman not named Potvin in franchise history, too.
At his current pace, Dobson is projected to finish this season with 85 points, which would be tied for the fourth-most in team history by a defenseman. Potvin currently owns the top seven seasons of that category.
But his defensive game, which was considered the weaker side of things, has made strides this season to begin suggesting that he’s one of the more well-rounded blueliners in the game.
Amongst defensemen, Dobson’s 708 minutes of ice time rank ninth in the league while his 70 shot blocks are eighth most. All the while, his on-ice goal differential of plus-28 ranks second behind only Hughes.
His Corsi For (548) ranks 12th in the league, meaning the Islanders are generating shots at a significant rate when he’s on the ice. However, his Corsi For % (CF%) of 48.4% is a byproduct of being on a team that has allowed the second-most shots this season, which puts him at a major disadvantage compared to the likes of Makar and Hughes. Considering how the league has voted in the past, though, it shouldn’t detract too much from Dobson’s candidacy. Last year’s winner, Erik Karlsson’s CF% ranked 53rd among NHL defensemen. New York Rangers blueliner Adam Fox’s CF% ranked 129th.
Should Dobson end the season with 80-plus points while being on a team that contends for a playoff spot, there should be no reason why he isn’t at least in the mix for a top-three spot.
